Romance
by Toni Boloni
Summary: Monkey D. Luffy was not the romantic type. - Luna pairing. R&R.


**Author Note:** So, I began to watch One Piece just recently, like a month ago, and I really wondered why I resented to reading or watching it. I really enjoy the show and the characters, especially Luffy. Now, I don't know about you, but after watching Strong World Movie, I started to like the idea of Luffy and Nami as a couple. Of course, it would be interesting and comical because Luffy is as dead as a roadkill when it comes to romance. Yet, my drabble may seem a little serious or boring because I focus mostly on the beginnings of Nami finding out about her captain's interest towards her. There are flashbacks to certain situations which are mainly in italics and whatever is not is her currently thinking about the prgress of the relationship of the present of the story.

Well, I hope you enjoy my random inspiration and attempt at their characters. I do appreciate reviews, faves, alerts, or even criticism. How else does one get better without some pointers?

**Disclaimer**: I don't own One Piece. I have no time, creativity, or patience like the wonderful Oda Eiichiro does.

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**Romance**

_by. Toni Boloni_

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Monkey D. Luffy was not the romantic type.

Luffy's constant extreme thirst for adventure and childish personality affected his male mindset on romance. Whenever he could get the chance, Luffy sought out the thrill of excitement rather than flinging himself at the female population like his cook, Sanji. His kid-like innocence influences his lack of fascination with the opposite sex.

In addition, Luffy's desire to become the Pirate King and have all the freedom on the sea was another thing that sets aside the romance in life. Always trying to get stronger, to reach One Piece, and gain the title, he never thought about having a relationship with anyone, let alone with one of his Nakama, more specifically, his navigator.

Likewise, even Nami never thought of looking at Luffy as a possible partner. He was way too simple - too slow, and she believed his pristine attitude would have caused him to not return the feelings she had unintentionally allowed to grow and have him love something, in this case, someone other than food and adventures.

It was not only a shock to the navigator, but to most of the Straw Hat crew as well. Luffy was seen as one not to trifle with such complicated matters. It seems his simple-mindedness was over exaggerated this time around. Especially when he publicly announced his affection on an unusual quiet day.

Thinking back, Nami could remember it perfectly.

_It was a sunny, calm afternoon when she was out tending to her plants along with Sanji and Robin accompanying her nearby at the table. Typically, Luffy was hanging with Chopper and Usopp and around that time, they all were awing at the gadget Franky was showing off on his body. _

_"It's Supa~!" the cyborg's booming voice yelled as he went into his usual signature pose of squatting his legs and raising his hands together above his head._

_The stars shined in the other three's eyes with wide grins stretching their faces. "So cool!"_

_From up top, Nami watched and pursed her lips at the distraction before shaking her head back to her precious mikans. She had always wondered what was so interesting about the robotic attachments besides the weapons that helped out in battles. When seeing the ridiculous feature of his hair changing style and length (even though he had already revealed that earlier), she could only sigh unamused._

_"Nami-swan! Would you like something to eat?" the cook asked, bouncing by the navigator with his usual peppiness and vigor. _

_She nodded back smiling, "Yes, please." Nami had to stifle a chuckle when the cook delightedly bounded off to the kitchen. "He has way too much energy sometimes," she thought out loud._

_Robin looked up from her book with a small grin. "Without it, he wouldn't be Sanji-kun."_

"_True," the orange-hair woman agreed, her own lips curving at the thought. She then returns to her trees with a scissor in hand and right about she was going to snip a dead branch off, a body crashed over into her crouching form, knocking the female's nose first into the trunk. _

"_Ah! Sorry, Nami! Are you okay?" Chopper's familiar voice squeaked from behind, his one hoof tugging on her white shirt to get her attention. Though the doctor's concern nature sidetrack the woman's pain from her nose, the laughter from the deck reminded her of the throbbing. _

"_Shishishi! You suck at aiming, Franky!" _

_Usopp's chuckling had been just as loud. "Yeah! What cyborg can't shoot a reindeer over a mast with their hair!?"_

"_I told you my hair is not a catapult!" countered the blue headed man, arms crossed. "My cannon... Now that's a different story."_

_Chopper could only sweat drop, their laughing and disinterest in Nami's well being not helping her anger to cool. It wasn't long till the navigator punch them all across their heads._

"_You idiots! Watch where you're throwing Chopper!" she yelled, shoulders squared and body towering over their limped forms on the grassy deck. "My nose almost got broken!" She huffed, pointing at her now red-puffy nose._

_Usopp was the first of the three to push the blame, his hand rubbing the large knob size bump. "It was all Luffy's ideas!" _

_Prior to the captain could oppose the accusation, the shipwright lied along by nodding. _

_"Eh!?" was all he could muster out before his navigator proceeded on to punch the living daylights out of him. __Lucky for Luffy, he stretched his rubber self away up to the sail's mast just as she went to kick him. "They thought of it too!" He whined in defense and rubbed his sore cheek. _

"_What do you take me as? An idiot!?"_

"_No!" he frowned and continued. "I would never mean to hurt you!" He then smiled, pulling himself up to sit. He slightly turned his head to look down as he spoke out loud. "Nami is just as ____**reliable **__as meat!" And then he leaped out of sight onto another mast, leaving the orange-hair woman stood there dumbfounded until..._

"_Buhahah!" laughed Usopp, his arms clutching his stomach and rolling on his back. "He compared you to food!" _

_It was too late for the sniper to shut up when he finally noticed the vein popping out of her forehead and a balled fist coming down on his head once more._

To this date, Usopp still has the bruise to show it.

Anyways, Nami came to the conclusion that because it was a boring week prior to his confession, he had time to think about his new found feelings on his navigator.

Howbeit, remember Luffy was not a romantic character of the bunch. And even after he told her, only Robin had picked up the weight of his words and kept quiet to herself even when Luffy started to hang around Nami more often afterwards.

At first, his incessant consort with the long haired woman was seemingly innocent. He would pop up here and there to ask her to play or ask questions about anything, like when will they hit another island. But eventually, even when there was nothing to do or even talk about, he would still follow Nami around with that stupid grin on. There were times where she would be sketching maps, he stayed the whole time, with or without permission. The only break Nami got was when using the bath, eating, or sleeping. She wouldn't have minded, however he was like a puppy asking for attention. The messy haired male was bothersome and endlessly poking her to come outside to entertain his boredom between the surprisingly easy sailings to new lands. Unlike the rest of the Straw Hats, she claimed his overbearing audience was pent up anxiousness from his lack of adventures. So, Nami merely ignored her captain unless it was important.

Which in reality meant never.

However, Luffy was one not to be ignored _especially_ when he had a puppy crush on the one who was ignoring him. Nami learned that the hard way once the captain of hers began to burst her personal space.

Luffy, unable to speak his emotions through lack of experience, uses his forward actions instead. Such as sneaking up and close behind the navigator when she was outlining old island maps or taking care of her plants. He meant not to scare her, [well kind of] but watch her work or to even just watch_ her._ Or, another way he expressed it was snatching her randomly up in his rubber arms, latching to Nami rather comically than romantically. Of course with the mention of food or Sanji's freak episode on Luffy, it wasn't too hard to get the clingy captain off.

Then finally, when the Straw Hats hit a new jungle-like island up for exploration, Nami believed she would be freed of his attention. Don't get her wrong – she enjoyed it at first. It's nice to have someone new fond over her in the meantime. It killed the passing days and also, she thought it was just a phase the nineteen year old was going through. The delayed hormones were finally setting inside the male.

Except she was proven wrong again with her theories on her enigmatic captain.

The moment the Mugiwara crew assembled on the islands, they were ready to follow their captain anywhere, by choice or by force. But instead of sprinting through the uncharted territory after him, Luffy remained rather... tamed. He unusually wouldn't run that far from their site, with the exception of chasing some odd creature or climbing trees to eat the delicious fruit hanging in them. The crew had a feeling why, but Nami was playing stupid as if she didn't notice he was keeping an eye on her from any potential danger. The gesture angered her more than impressed her surprisingly. Nami could look after herself! She's done it many times before and during her two year training. She was more than capable and Luffy should know that!

Of course, Robin defends the chivalrous gesture on his part. Nami continues to counter it as more as an annoyance than anything else. Adding to her case, the navigator persisted that her non-romantic captain could not have anything more than mutual feelings for anyone, let alone for her.

The orange-haired did not view him as the perverted love-struck guy at all - besides, that's been the cook's role on the ship.

And sure as hell Monkey D. Luffy was not the romantic type. He was more defined as the stubborn, deviant, persistent, boisterous, dim-witted, and most important, virtuous captain of the Straw Hats. The goof off of the ship she sums up.

Nevertheless to what Nami kept saying to herself, Luffy defied his original persona. And moreover than excite the woman, the information scared her. The navigator does not want to be the one who pulled her captain off his original trail to becoming the Pirate King. If he likes her like she think she believes, he would put himself in more danger to protect her. He'll never reach his dream with her in the way.

So the passing weeks on Sunny or on the islands, she completely locked him out from her heart. She pretended he wasn't around as much as before, blatantly evading his eye contact and conversations unless she was with a few of the fellow pirates. The idea worked for a while, except it became obvious when the captain's energy and happy-go-lucky attitude slipped away the moment she started to avoid him. It sent everyone else in chaos, even Nami. She was confronted so many times she lost count and waved their questions away with the repeated answer _'I don't know.' _That didn't play well with the well-observant Robin.

Forced into a corner by Nico Robin, she had no choice but to listen to her female companion berating the navigator's stupid idea and how Nami failed to think about the effects it has on the whole crew. Of course, the archeologist was right. She always was. Then the dark haired woman scolded her friend and threatened her to go talk to their captain or somehow, the treasure collected through the months on sea would somehow find their way back down in the dark depths of Davy Jones locker. Now Nami had no choice but to.

She planned many times when to speak with her captain, yet he was avoiding her like she did so. It wasn't until some spontaneous time of the week she had accidentally caught him off guard.

_Sunset was coloring the sky with the angry oranges and the cool blue streaked along with some clouds which had been thinning out on the horizon from the passing hour, ready to clear the way for the starry night on the sea. Although the water was not calm, it was not too choppy where Nami had sensed any incoming storms. The crew were safe from mother nature's continual attempts... for now._

_With night coming down on Thousand Sunny, Nami left the top deck down to the second level, her arms stretched above her head and a yawn easily escaping her lips. Her T-shirt she wore earlier in the day wrinkled up, exposing her midsection without a care. Her steps were sluggish like the day's events, jean covered legs almost dragging her to the door that held her bed inside. Oh, she was so ready to pass out the second she would fall for it, yet by the corner her eyes, somehow the orange-hair woman caught the glimpse of straw hat covered head sitting behind the petal like mane on Sunny's head located at the front of the ship. Although she was so close to getting to her bed, her hand slid off the doorknob and proceeded to the railing on the stairs to the grassy deck. _

_As Nami finally reached the helm, she silently observed her captain with much curiosity. _

_It wasn't unsightly to see him be perched on the figurehead, in fact it was nostalgic. The pass weeks, Luffy's demeanor had changed, not too drastic, however enough to see him acting adversely. He still ate at his gluttonous rate, slept his vagrant naps, and expressed his mountainous amount of energy towards adventures. The only difference was all of it consist mostly with Nami until she shut him out. Having her captain's company was fun, but only tolerable for so long. Like all humans, some alone time wouldn't kill anyone. _

_But, by the hunched pose and furrowed brows on her captain's face, maybe it could have. Thinking wasn't his forte, unless he was in a battle. He's a genius, observing his enemy's weaknesses [or accidentally discovering it] and how to use it against them in his counter attacks. Aside from Luffy on the battlefield, thinking gave him massive headaches and if possible, could make him bedridden for a day or two. Alone time for Luffy was in fact not good for his health._

_The navigator sighed quietly and walked up the steps to where her captain resided, his brows knitted together. He must have been so in thought for when Nami climbed on top of Sunny's head, Luffy barely registered her presence as she took a seat next to him. He quickly tried to cover up his inattentive nature with his signature grin growing on his lips._

"_Hey, Nami." _

_She weakly smiled, ignoring his greeting to get straight to the point. "You alright, Luffy?" His one eyebrow rose and a puzzled look crossed his face. "I saw you just before coming up here." A soft frown stretched on Luffy, his eyes returning to the sunset._

"_I was thinking..." he stated honestly, his voice low which had Nami move in closer to hear the rest. "About food." _

_Nami had nearly comically fell over before knocking him hard on his skull, making him teetered slightly. "There's no way with that pain expression you were thinking about food!" she yelled, a finger pointing at her captain accusingly. "The truth! And don't lie again. You're terrible at it!"_

_Once the gloomy male stop rubbing the sore spot on his head after removing his hat, Luffy's dark eyes stared right into her brown pools rather... lifeless. The orange-hair navigator stiffen, her anger immediately disappearing when he sighed tiredly, silence engulfing them both. They only heard the waves and few gulls that cawed high in the heavens, yet not one had spoken for a while, causing the tension in the air making it hard to breathe for Nami._

"_It.. hurts.." _

_Nami titled curiously towards him. "You're hurting?" she asked, obviously stating what he said to be sure she heard right. He nodded at her and continued, his eyes stuck on her own seriously._

"_Whenever I'm not around you..." he paused, his hand rising to the red vest he wears before clutching tight near his heart. "Right here." _

"_Eh!?" all Nami could muster out, her chocolate colored pools widening at his words. _

_Regardless of her reaction, Luffy spoke up again. "You didn't poison me, right?" he mused and smirk, getting his crew member to roll her eyes. Just like Luffy to turn a problem into a joke. Yet, it lasted a second and his curve falter downwards again as he stared into his open lap._

"_But the pain goes away, just like it has done now, when you sat down next to me." Nami only gaped her mouth, a flush coloring her colored cheeks at the statement, and she failed to hide it when her captain looked back up her for the answer. "Oi, Nami. You know... What's going on with me?" _

_Oh, she definitely knew. He had more than that crush she began to acknowledge lately. Her captain had actual feelings - adoration, affection – towards not just anyone, but she. He didn't even understand what it was and blindly confessed to the one he held feelings towards, causing Nami to be speechless. What **luck** for her, sarcasm intended._

"_Nami?" his voice so light that she swore she was imagining._

_She gulped nervously at first then her mouth slightly parted, her brown eyes never wavering from his dark pupils even when he leaned closer for the possible answer. Does she bluntly tell him or...?_

"_Did you tell anyone else this?" Luffy shook his head slowly, the anticipation clearly written on his face. "Before I tell you what I think.. You promise not to yell?" A nod was immediately gestured in response. Nami gave a regretful sigh and opened her mouth to speak._

"_Do you like me Luffy?"_

"_Duh! Otherwise you wouldn't be my Nakama!" he replied, a hand on his one knee while he pointed at her with the other in the coming night. He laughed absurdly at his navigator for the pointless question._

_Nami narrowed her eyes. "No. I meant more than that." _

_Luffy quickly shut his mouth after, a blank expression spreading about him. "More than what?" _

_She face-palmed herself, a groan escaping her throat. Does she have to spell it out for him? "Do you like me more than just your Nakama." Nami paused, seeing him have trouble understanding the question. Then something from the past finally made sense of this mess, her hand grabbing his chin to snap his gaze into hers yet again. "Remember you said I was just as** reliable** as meat. What did you mean by that?"_

_Right after her new question, Nami felt her captain stiffen and if she squinted hard enough, she swore she could spot the light flush adored on his tan cheeks in the dark. Her eyes continued to search hard for his answer on the blushing face until he fidgeted and glance away with anything but. The navigator just barely resisted the temptation to make a remark at his unusual behavior when she watched his lips part to say something._

"_I don't know..." Then just like always, he pursed his mouth and avoided looking at her face. "OW! O-ow! That hurts, Nami!" he mumbled in a whine when his navigator's fingers pulled at each of his cheeks at the same time and further than normal. _

"_What did I say about you being a terrible liar?!" Despite the darkness around them, she could see his guilty expression and gave another tug on his rubbery skin. He gave out another whine, arms flailing about which made her almost chuckle at the non-existent pain. Luffy was such an over exaggerator._

"_It's not easy to explain."_

_Head tilted, Nami blinked at her captain before letting go, his skin slapping back in place. "What's so hard to explain?" she questioned. _

"_This pain involving you –" he then hesitated to act out his words, the hand making its way back up to his chest. "I don't really understand it myself but the thought of you not here, not part of my crew, really **hurts**."_

"_L.. Luffy..." she breathed out barely, her erratic heartbeats causing it to stammer out. His voice, the honest sadness to the tone and his worried, pained expression had her feel bad for causing the pirate to act that way. If he wasn't aware of those new found desires he developed about his navigator, he wouldn't be suffering with this new experience. She only helped with the pain when she avoids his presence earlier in the weeks. She had to put a stop to her ridiculousness and had to tell him._

_Nami puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder, the straw hat that hung on the back of his neck lightly brushing against her fingertips. _

"_You are in **love**, Luffy." _

_She was blunt, making herself blush at how easily she figured out his problem like it was nothing but a small cold. Except, this was more than a virus. It was the forbidden emotion Luffy would have absolutely not thought of encountering in his lifetime. _

"_Love?" he repeated, unsure of it himself._

_Nami nodded, a soft smile spreading on her. "Yes - where you develop an attachment to someone you can't stand to be without." He still wore a confused state and blinked into her eyes for more explanation. "As an example, you can't live without meat," she paused, seeing his drool. Bad example... "Umm... Or like how your brother, Ace, died. Jimbei said you mentally collapse into a coma." Under her hand, she senses his tensed shoulders and squeezed him gently to reassure him again. "Now, if I died-"_

"_DON'T-!" Nami jumped at his outburst and noticed he was back on his feet, his warm palms on her shoulders now. "Don't you dare finish that!" his voice cracked like he was holding back tears, either from the mention of his deceased brother or the thought of her gone. She was startled till her brown wide eyes eased as she composed herself, her knees moving under her as pulled her into his stomach, slender and lean arms wrapping around his lower back. _

"_Sorry, Luffy." Nami smothered herself into his abdomen more, mumbling her warm breath onto him. "I did not mean to bring up your brother again or make up.. An unwanted circumstance about me." She gave a final squeeze to him and pulled away to look up at her captain, except she met his chest with a gasp this time when he decided to return the hug. _

_Luffy's chin took no second to nest itself in her orange hair and his fingers easily webbed themselves into the long tresses running down her shoulders. She could hear his pounding heart with her ear practically against and it did not help calm her own down the moment his deep, hot breath fanned on top of her head. She tried to hold back the shiver, but instead goosebumps appeared on her arms. Luffy remain quiet and the torturing silence made her her think her captain had fallen asleep until he mumbled into her hair._

"_It's okay." He slowly pulled away from her and a soft, honest grin beamed down at Nami. She barely gazed back with a red hue brushing across her cheeks. "Sorry," he started, a hand nervously scratching the back of his neck in the apology. "I felt like hugging you back." _

_She smiled, face still hot. "It's fine." Then he took her seat back next to her, his curious eyes still studying her face. "So..?" His dark brows rose in her voice. "You understand?"_

_Her captain let his smirk stretch on his lips and a chuckle slipped through them, his hat coming back up on his messy head. "Nope. Not a clue."_

"_Luffy!" She was really ready to scold him, but his warming laugh that erupted from her reaction had her anger simmer down and cause her own to be drowned with him, that familiar tone music to her ears._

Things quickly returned to normal that next day for the Straw Hats, and fortunately for Nami, everyone figured on their own the two must have talked it out last night. But to be safe, Nami still checked on the money and treasure stored down in the ship if any had been touched. Nico Robin knows how to keep her word. As the normality began to recover, so did Luffy's attachment to Nami. They didn't discuss much after the laughing session they both shared and Nami thought it would be easier to not to. As time goes on, maybe her captain will figure things out on his own or he'll give up with romance. But, this was Luffy she's talking about.

Luffy never knows when to give up.

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**Author Note:** So how was that? Alright? Okay? Wonderful? Or god awful where you had to throw the computer out your window?

There will be a second part to this still focusing on his not so romantic side. Pretty much in Nami's POV on Luffy's inability to be romantic... normally. That one will be more comical and less boring hopefully. Well, I hope you had fun reading. And don't be a stranger! Click that button below and give me some pointers or tell me about yourself. I will reply back!

Thank you~

Toni Boloni


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